Golden Submarine

Oldfield worked with Miller, who developed and built carburetors in Los Angeles, to create a racing machine that would not only be fast and durable, but that would also protect the driver in the event of an accident. Bob Burman, one of Oldfield's top rivals and closest friends, was killed in a wreck during a race in Corona, California. Burman died from severe injuries suffered while rolling over in his open-cockpit car. Oldfield and Miller joined forces to build a race car that incorporated an enclosed roll cage inside a streamlined driver's compartment to completely enclose the driver.[2][3]

The Golden Submarine was built from aluminum with holes for the driver to look out.[3] The gold color was achieved with a combination of bronze dust and lacquer.[2] The car cost $US 15,000 to build ($343,000 in 2023).[1]

The car made its first outing on 16 June 1917 at the Chicago Board Speedway in Maywood, Illinois.[4] The engine failed after 10 miles (16 km), but it averaged 104 mph (167 km/h) up to that point.[4] The engine problems were ironed out the following week and on 25 June he defeated arch-rival Ralph DePalma three times on the Milwaukee dirt track.[4] The car competed in 54 races with 20 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds.[3] The car qualified for the 1919 Indianapolis 500 but it dropped out after its engine failed.[1]